I was very surprised how Steinbeck chose to end the book. I thought that he would make it a happy ending. I thought Candy and Crooks would join George and Lennie and get the land and live together on their own. Steinbeck showed how much people can influence our dreams, and how they can destroy our hope. Curley’s wife smashed Crooks dreams by telling him he was nothing and she could have him killed. Before that Crooks was telling Lennie he was crazy for having this dream of having land no one could tell them what to do.
All the characters had their own idea of an “American Dream”. Lennie and George had their land they they were going to get, but they still had their own dream. Lennie wanted to tend the rabbits. George wanted land where no one could tell him what to do. Curley’s wife wanted men’s attention, and wanted to be famous. Candy wanted to be “wanted” he didn’t want to be the one who no one wanted. Crooks equally where no one would push him down for being different.
I think we can only reach our dreams after we die. Curley’s wife was finally peaceful after she died, she didn’t need anyone she was fine. Lennie could only get his dream after he died because they weren’t ever going to get that land. That’s why George was telling him about it before he shot him, so he could die happy. Society told them that they could never get this done, so they never thought it could ever happen until more people started to join they still couldn’t do it. I like how Steinbeck made it hard for George to kill Lennie but he knew he had to do it so the others wouldn’t do it.